Tick Treatment

I use a combination of Bifenthrin and tick tubes.

Only two applications are necessary for effective tick control during the season: the first in April - May and the second in August.

Bifenthrin

The most popular tick treatments presently are cedar oil based or pyrethroid based. 

Cedar oil is derived from trees and is not modified so can be classed as an organic treatment, though it is much less effective than the pyrethroids and must be applied many times throughout the season. The oil must make contact with the ticks. It washes away after rain or irrigation, needs to be applied once or twice a month and after heavy rain. 

A pyrethroid is a modified form of natural pyrethrins, which are produced by the flowers of Chrysanthemums. This modification gives pyrethroids a longer period of effectivity. Because they are synthesized, they cannot be classed as organic, however they are used everywhere and harmless to humans and pets if used correctly.

Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide.  Bifenthrin comes in granular form and is applied using a blower type apparatus; it adheres to the soil and is effective for a few months. A specially designed backpack can shoot the grains out up to 40-feet. It is ideal for doing perimeters and beyond if needed.

Perimeter treatments 

The single most effective way to reduce blacklegged (deer) ticks in your yard is by insecticide applications that are applied mainly to the yard perimeter, shady perennial beds, or along trails and paths in woods. In most situations, treatment is not needed on open or sunny lawns.

“In the two years since the first coordinated tick treatments… there has not been one family stating that they have found a tick on their children or pets.”

- Lee Jeans, President, Shady Lea Woods, North Kingstown, RI

Perimeter treatments can be either liquid or granular applications. Products with bifenthrin or permethrin as the active ingredients work well. Spray treatments should be applied using high-pressure sprayers. To best accomplish this, TERC highly recommends hiring a licensed Professional Pest Control Applicator trained to kill ticks in the environment.

Perimeter spray treatments are eco-friendly by limiting the amount of pesticide being applied, and targeting the areas where people most frequently come into contact with deer ticks. The chemicals used today for tick control are much less toxic than in the past and are used in very low concentrations. Additionally, bifenthrin and permethrin do not leach through soil. These chemicals are degraded by soil microorganisms within the top 4 cm of the soil surface. Note that pyrethroid products should not be applied around fish-containing ponds or streams.